Daniel Heckman (left) and Valle Rogers flod up a tent after a police order at the Occupy Cal camp on the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Students are angry over soaring tuition fees.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

Daniel Heckman (left) and Valle Rogers flod up a tent after a...

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Cal student Honest Chung describes to reporters, at UC Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011, the injuries he received by police officers while protesting with Occupy Cal supporters on Wednesday. He was not arrested and was treated at a local hospital for his injuries.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

Cal student Honest Chung describes to reporters, at UC Berkeley on...

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UC Berkeley faculty members meet near Sather Gate on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011 to discuss Wednesday night's police action on Occupy Cal protesters and next Tuesday's planned general stike against the university.

Alameda County Sheriffs deputies stand behind protesters sleeping in the Occupy Cal camp on the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Students are angry over soaring tuition fees.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

Alameda County Sheriffs deputies stand behind protesters sleeping...

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A police officer orders protesters to wake up after spending the night in the Occupy Cal camp on the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Students are angry over soaring tuition fees.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

A police officer orders protesters to wake up after spending the...

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Nadine Argueza (left) and Wendy Villalobos keep warm in front of their tent after spending the night in the Occupy Cal camp on the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Students are angry over soaring tuition fees.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

Nadine Argueza (left) and Wendy Villalobos keep warm in front of...

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Students walk to class in front of James Chang, who spent the night in the Occupy Cal camp on the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Students are angry over soaring tuition fees.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

Students walk to class in front of James Chang, who spent the night...

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Daniel Heckman (left), Joshua Nelson (center) and Valle Rogers wake up a sleeping protester in his tent in the Occupy Cal camp on the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Students are angry over soaring tuition fees.

Kevin Lash emerges from his tent after spening the night in the Occupy Cal camp on the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Students are angry over soaring tuition fees.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

Kevin Lash emerges from his tent after spening the night in the...

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A protester stands near a line of Alameda County Sheriffs deputies at the Occupy Cal camp on the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Students are angry over soaring tuition fees.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

A protester stands near a line of Alameda County Sheriffs deputies...

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An Occupy Cal protester defies a police order and places a tent in front of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Students are angry over soaring tuition fees.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

An Occupy Cal protester defies a police order and places a tent in...

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University police officers scuffle with an Occupy Cal protester who tried to prevent them from confiscating a tent from the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Students are angry over soaring tuition fees.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

University police officers scuffle with an Occupy Cal protester who...

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University police officers confiscate a tent from an Occupy Cal protester on the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Students are angry over soaring tuition fees.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

University police officers confiscate a tent from an Occupy Cal...

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University police officers confiscate a tent from an Occupy Cal protester on the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Students are angry over soaring tuition fees.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

University police officers confiscate a tent from an Occupy Cal...

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A police officer carries the remanants of tent after confiscating it from Occupy Cal protesters at UC Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Students are angry over soaring tuition fees.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

A police officer carries the remanants of tent after confiscating...

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University police officers take an Occupy Cal protester into custody after a scuffle occurred when officers confiscated a tent from the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Students are angry over soaring tuition fees.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

University police officers take an Occupy Cal protester into...

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Demonstrators corner officers after an Occupy Cal protester was taken into custody during a scuffle with police on the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Students are angry over soaring tuition fees.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

Demonstrators corner officers after an Occupy Cal protester was...

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Protesters pack up after spending the night in the Occupy Cal camp on the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Students are angry over soaring tuition fees.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

Protesters pack up after spending the night in the Occupy Cal camp...

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Bio Engineering major Stuart Reeder wakes up after spending the night in the Occupy Cal camp on the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Reeder didn't want to be late to his morning class. Students are angry over soaring tuition fees.

Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle

Bio Engineering major Stuart Reeder wakes up after spending the...

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The Raza Recruitment and Retention Center displayed banners at the Occupy Cal protest in Sproul Plaza. UC Berkeley police kept an eye on Occupy demonstrators on Thursday, November 10, 2011, after a confrontation between police and protesters got violent the night before at the university campus in Berkeley, Calif.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

The Raza Recruitment and Retention Center displayed banners at the...

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Occupy Cal protesters protesters listen to speakers during the general assembly meeting as UC Berkeley police kept an eye on Occupy demonstrators on Thursday, November 10, 2011, after a confrontation between police and protesters got violent the night before at the university campus in Berkeley, Calif.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

Occupy Cal protesters protesters listen to speakers during the...

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Ruben Canedo paints a banner as part of the Occupy Cal protest in Sproul Plaza. UC Berkeley police kept an eye on Occupy demonstrators on Thursday, November 10, 2011, after a confrontation between police and protesters got violent the night before at the university campus in Berkeley, Calif.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

Ruben Canedo paints a banner as part of the Occupy Cal protest in...

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UC Berkeley police kept an eye on Occupy demonstrators on Thursday, November 10, 2011, after a confrontation between police and protesters got violent the night before at the university campus in Berkeley, Calif.

UC Berkeley police kept an eye on Occupy demonstrators on Thursday, November 10, 2011, after a confrontation between police and protesters got violent the night before at the university campus in Berkeley, Calif.

Police remove protesters occupying UC Berkeley on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011, in Berkeley, Calif.
Ran on: 11-10-2011
Baton-wielding police wade into the night gathering at Sproul Plaza and remove protesters trying to set up an encampment.
Ran on: 11-10-2011
Baton-wielding police wade into the night gathering at Sproul Plaza and remove protesters trying to set up an encampment.
Ran on: 11-10-2011
Baton-wielding police wade into the night gathering at Sproul Plaza and remove protesters trying to set up an encampment.
Ran on: 11-10-2011
Baton-wielding police wade into the night gathering at Sproul Plaza and remove protesters trying to set up an encampment.

Rachel, left, and Tess, who declined to give their last names, hug while attending a candlelight vigil for a man murdered near the edge of Occupy Oakland's camp on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011, in Oakland, Calif.

Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle

Rachel, left, and Tess, who declined to give their last names, hug...

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Madea Williams cries while visiting a shrine for a man murdered near the edge of Occupy Oakland's camp on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011, in Oakland, Calif. Williams said she shared a tent with the victim, who was her cousin, at Occupy Oakland

A day after police forcibly removed an Occupy Cal encampment, several hundred students gathered on the steps at Sproul Plaza on Thursday evening to plan for a general strike at the university and decide whether to defy campus policy and set up new tents.

The students voted to walk out of classes Tuesday in opposition to cuts in higher education and called on teachers and graduate students to join them.

"The iron is hot, we need to strike," said Shane Boyle, a doctoral student in theater.

Late Thursday evening, the group voted not to set up tents on campus right away.

Matthew Rees, 25, a philosophy major who voted to camp overnight, said he was not concerned the movement would lose momentum.

"They're genuinely terrified for their personal safety," he said of those who voted not to camp. "That in itself sheds light on which force was used to diminish the political statement."

Some other students held out the possibility of setting up a camp during the general strike Tuesday.

Shortly before the gathering, Chancellor Robert Birgeneau issued his first public statement on the Cal occupation, reiterating campus policy prohibiting tents, sleeping bags and stoves on university grounds.

In a letter sent by e-mail to faculty, students and university employees, Birgeneau said he regretted that police had to use force against the students Wednesday night.

Baton-wielding police officers rammed Occupy Cal protesters who had formed a human chain to block access to seven tents that students had erected on Sproul Plaza. Videos taken at the scene show UC Berkeley police and Alameda County sheriff's deputies in riot gear lowering their face shields and hitting the protesters with batons.

"We are not equipped to manage the hygiene, safety, space, and conflict issues that emerge when an encampment takes hold and the more intransigent individuals gain control," the e-mail said.

Birgeneau said the campus' Police Review Board will determine whether police used excessive force. Police arrested 39 people during the clash Wednesday.

One tent remained on the steps of Sproul Hall until 10:30 a.m. Thursday, when police moved in and took it down, and arrested a student, bringing to 40 the number of protesters arrested.

Birgeneau commended demonstrators who chose to be arrested peacefully.

"These protesters were acting in the tradition of peaceful civil disobedience, and we honor them," he said in the e-mail also signed by other campus administrators.

On the other hand, he noted, other protesters formed a human chain by interlocking arms to prevent police from tearing down the tents.

"This is not nonviolent civil disobedience," he said.

Many students weren't buying it.

"I think Birgeneau's letter is a cynical attempt to mask the police brutality inflicted on peaceful protesters," said Eric Blanc, a student organizer who attends Berkeley City College.

On Thursday, Honest Chung, 21, a history major, was still wearing a wristband from Alta Bates hospital, where he was treated for bruises to his forearms and midsection. Chung said his older sister called after seeing video footage of officers using batons, and he assured her not to worry.

"I convinced her I was OK and I understood her concern," he said. "But it was kind of left unsaid that it was probably best if my parents didn't know about it."

Organizers said Tuesday's strike is planned as a lead-in to a scheduled march on the UC regents' meeting Wednesday in San Francisco. On the Berkeley campus Thursday, strike organizers visited classes to urge students and professors to walk out Tuesday, or hold classes outside in solidarity with the protesters.

While many agreed, one class studying Marxist literature was among those that refused.